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AI and Melo experiment begins

Well I had my doubts and I certainly knocked AI's numbers leading up to the Denver trade. First night out they get the win together and it looks mostly solid.

AI shot a nice FG%, took less shots than Melo and Smith (16, which isn't exactly limited normally, but relative to his game it's very restrained), and dished it fairly well.

The caveat is that it was horrid Memphis they beat and that AI also gave up 6 turnovers to only 7 assists. If you recall my issue with AI vs Dre is that Miller protects the ball better and has a great A/TO ratio. Honestly AI's numbers tonight look more like Dre's numbers than AI's normal stuff, leading me back to this thought - "Wasn't Dre already doing what AI did for them tonight, but without the 6 TOs?"

Still, it's a win and it appears to work at least roughly as well as it was with Miller. I need to see more of this against some quality teams and to see those TOs come down a bit, but the rest of it takes the first step toward proving my doubts incorrect.

Re: AI and Melo experiment begins

They actually have a pretty good complement of players around the two megavolume shooters. Reggie Evans, Steve Blake, Eduardo Najera, and even to some extent Marcus Camby are content to do the little things that help like screening, crashing the boards, drawing charges, and playing unselfishly while deferring to the big guns. Smith is an unknown in how he will handle not being in the limelight.

I think that they will be fine. Not title contenders, but a dangerous 1st round playoff opponent for any team.